[Ads-l] 23-Skidoo

[Baker, John]

The Boston Daily Globe ran an article on May 13, 1906, under the headline "Where Did "23" Originate."  Note that this was during 1906, when "23 skidoo" (or "skiddoo") was enormously popular and there were many conjectures as to its origin.  Of course, all of the conjecture was as to "23"; everyone supposed, as we suppose today, that "skidoo" derived from "skedaddle."  As the article states, "It [i.e., "23"] is a companion to "skidoo," and is frequently used in conjunction with that equally expressive word, although when you say "23" you mean "skidoo.""

The article is too long to reproduce, but I will be happy to send a copy offline to anyone who would like to send me an email.  It states that there is agreement that "23" was popularized but not originated by George Cohan in the 1904 musical comedy "Little Johnny Jones" (remembered today for originating the songs "Give My Regards to Broadway" and "The Yankee Doodle Boy," although the article does not mention this).  Among the possible origins of varying degrees of probability that are discussed:

--From a repertory theatre slang phrase, "eighteen and five," because unwanted actors were made to learn 18 parts and would not get paid for five weeks.

--Because only 22 horses could run in a race, and the 23rd horse would be marked off the list.

--Because there would be only 23 turns in a circus, and packing up would begin in the 23rd turn.

--From Genesis 3:23 (miscited as 5:23 in the article):  "Therefore the Lord God sent him (Adam) forth from the garden of Eden to till the ground from whence he was taken."

--From A Tale of Two Cities, in which Sidney Carton is taken to the guillotine on the 23rd cart.

--A New York cabbie reference to a traffic obstruction, from police use of two whistle blasts to mean "go ahead" and three to mean "back up."

--From a telegraph code to order interrupters off the wire.


John Baker





-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Jonathan Lighter
Sent: Tuesday, February 23, 2016 7:13 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: 23-Skidoo

The heart of the improbable tale is that "23-Skidoo" was actually "forty or
fifty years old" and originated "in circuses" where "there were always 23
acts."  "Skidoo" is a "variation of Skedaddle" (almost certainly true).
After the 23rd act, the boss tentman would tell his workers "Twenty-three!
Skidoo!"

Get it?

If any real corroboration of this story exists, I'd like to see it.

Mencken rehearsed several such etymologies.

JL

On Tue, Feb 23, 2016 at 5:51 AM, Peter Morris <
peter_morris_1 at blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Peter Morris <peter_morris_1 at BLUEYONDER.CO.UK>
> Subject:      23-Skidoo
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> This phrase is of mysterious origin. It's a puzzle that
> has had people scratching their heads for decades.=20
>
> Here's a possible lead.  I've located a 1906 article named
> "HOW 23, SKIDDOO ORIGINATED." This is contemporary=20
> with the earliest known use of the phrase.=20
>
> Google snippet only shows the title, and gives no indication
> of the content. I think it's worth checking out, and I'd love to know
> what it says.
>
> http://tinyurl.com/zqsgyxs
>
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> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>



-- 
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